Role of leadership in the implementation of organizational culture change at the Kenya power company ltd

Abstract

Since leadership is important in any organization and has been identified as crucial in the implementation of culture change in long-term, this project focuses on the leadership factors that facilitate implementation of culture change. Changing a culture is a largescale undertaking and all of the organizational tools for changing minds will need to be put in play. To change or to manage corporate culture one has to be able to define and therefore pinpoint exactly what it is one is trying to change. The evidence in this study suggests that leadership is associated with organizational culture, primarily through the processes of articulating a vision and to a lesser extent through the setting of expectations. The study is a result of research project on the role of leadership in implementation of organizational culture change in Kenya Power Company limited. The objectives of the research project were to determine the role of leadership in culture change implementation at KP and establish the various elements of leadership and how they have influenced the implementation of culture change at KP. The study employed a case and targeted 10 respondents who were departmental heads. The data was collected from interviews and secondary sources. The findings indicated various leadership factors for organizational culture change. Implementation used external consultants with appropriate expertise and experience. The Organizational culture change process was supported by top management and championed by a team of Change Agents or Ambassadors drawn from formal and informal structures of the organization. There were various elements of leadership which were used by top management to aid in the process of organizational culture change implementation. Training strategy was used to foster awareness and to build capacities, which were critical for behavioral change. In addition to that, Communication strategy was used to provide continuous information to stakeholders. Both the training and communication strategies assisted in managing and reducing resistance on the part of the staff. Regular performance review provided important feedbacks, an essential input used to review communication, training and maintenance processes. There was a limitation of sufficient time to critique all factors, processes and activities that aid in organizational culture change and to examine its impact to all stakeholders. The research provides critical processes for implementing a successful organizational culture change, which includes formulation of mission, training, communication and use of change agents. There is need for further research on impact of training and performance of individual change agents, in implementation of organizational culture change and to a more extend on whether leadership can be acquired at later stages in life or it’s an inborn thing